Thursday, 24 May 2012

Spaceport Singapore

Space Adventures has proposed a USD $115 million spaceport to be located in
Singapore, near Singapore Changi Airport. This spaceport will service the Space Adventures Explorer
suborbital tourist rocketplane. It will also provide astronaut training facilities and a public
education and interactive visitor center. The spaceport is licensed by the Civil Aviation
Authority of Singapore (CAAS). The estimated completion date of the spaceport in 2009.Sites in Australia, the Bahamas, Florida, Japan, Malaysia, Nevada, New Mexico,
Oklahoma, Singapore and Dubai in the United Arab Emirates were considered. After a year-long
selection process, the sites in Singapore and Dubai were chosen. One key difference between the
two proposed spaceports is that while the Dubai spaceport will be mainly a launchpad for
sub-orbital space flights, the Singapore spaceport will have much more facilities.
The planned attractions in the Singapore Spaceport are:

Sub-orbital Space Flights that will blast passengers to an
altitude of 100 km so they can enjoy about five minutes of
weightlessness. An entire flight will take about 90 minutes. There will
be a four-day training programme before the flight. The entire
experience is estimated to cost US$102,000.

Parabolic Flights. These flights at an estimated
US$10,000 produce the experience of weightlessness in an aircraft
without going into space.

For adults, a full-day astronaut experience that will
include a spin in a centrifuge to simulate a high-gravity environment,
astronaut meals and a stint in a hypobaric (low-pressure) chamber to
simulate performing repairs on damaged spacecraft in orbit.

An authentic VIP astronaut training facility for the
public that will provide many of the training elements used by
professional astronauts. These include simulated spacewalks in neutral
buoyancy tanks on the ground. Courses will be taught by actual
astronauts and other space, flight, and training experts.

An Interactive Visitor Centre, where the public can
enjoy flight simulators and interactive exhibit experiences, or learn
about the history and technology of space travel.

The entire complex will be spread over 17,000 square meters of floor
area on a 1.8 ha site. It is expected to generate about $3 billion in
economic benefits over 10 years. It hopes to attract more than
half-a-million visitors a year from the region within two-and-a-half
years of opening.
The estimated minimum cost of US$115 million will be partially
funded by the private sector, undisclosed Singapore sources, as well
Space Adventures' global spaceport development partner, His Highness
Sheikh Saud Bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Crown Prince of Ras Al-Khaimah in the
United Arab Emirates.
The consortium supporting Spaceport Singapore includes Octtane Pte,
Batey Pte Ltd., Lyon Capital Inc., DP Architects, ST Medical and KPMG
Corporate Finance.